His Heart
by Leafy Lincoln
Summary: A heartless searches for his heart and will do anything to have it.


He could see it.

A small hole- light shining through ever so brightly and making its way through the darkness. It was so warm and so far away. He reached out to it instinctively, arms uselessly twitching in its direction, having no chance of ever reaching the unknown paradise. There was something about the darkness that lulled him. His energy was draining away so he decided not to pursue the light.

He swam in a dark sea, bobbing up and down and up and down in the weightless waters. It paralyzed him, the waters. It was all so suffocating, filling his lungs, drowning his being. No matter where he looked, it was surrounding him.

Yet, his heart ached for the light. It begged him- pleaded with him to grab hold of that light and never let go. To latch onto it and eat it up so that no one else may ever take it; it was his and his alone. It _must_ be his. No one else craved for it the way his heart did. Every slow, agonizing heart beat had him tearing at the barrier of his conscious to get near that light. However, no matter how loud he screamed or how hard he pushed his body wouldn't respond. It remained still; laughing at his eccentric antics.

He didn't know if he was trapped within himself, or it this immobility was real. It felt like a little of both.

Actually, it felt like he was seeing things through murky waters, blurry but clarity coming in small spouts. He didn't know how that worked, but that's how he perceived it.

But then…

The dark sea that was once all around him, gone. One second it was everywhere and then it faded, leaving only small traces of its presence. There was still the murky waters that surrounded him, a protective layer from the outside world.

That light that he saw those first instances, it was back. Not only did it return, but it was far brighter- and warmer. It didn't seem possible, but it was. It was certainly very possible, as he couldn't help but shut his eyes to the searing light. How badly he wanted to keep them open and look on at the glorious light. His hand could've reached out and made a grab at the light to fulfill his heart's desire, but something held him back. The need for the action was there, just like it was to open his eyes, but so was the restriction to his movement. The restriction he'd felt before, it was real.

Yet, it was weaker. With less darkness, his body was slightly more his, to command and be controlled. As the countless moment passed by, he could feel power come back to him, playing alongside the layer of darkness. His fingers twitched in response to his plea to grab the light. It wasn't what he wanted, but it was a start.

He was hunched over, close to the ground. With not much water obstructing his vision he found that he was crouched on something hard and sturdy, something that was stable and could hold his weight. It was a better than just drowning in that wretched sea. His hands, to his surprise, were pressed against the ground- it was no wonder they wouldn't respond to him, they were already in use. His face was tilted down, but with his eyes closed he wasn't able to decipher anything else.

He could feel his surroundings though. Before him was a warmth he had never felt before, something he craved so desperately. It contrasted so drastically with the looming walls of darkness surrounding him from behind. It reminded him of the dark sea he had originated from. Like waves it pushed at him from behind, a constant reminder that darkness was always there. It twitched constantly, so much that he could only imagine the sound it would make.

Sound. It came slowly. First, it was a low murmuring, barely audible and incomprehensive. Then, it became a whisper, still garble to his ears, but more pronounced. He wanted it to raise its volume so he could figure out what it was, but, in the end, it only became a low tone. It frustrated him that he wasn't able to understand it, the sound so slow and alien. So mysterious and… curious. Whatever it was, it was nothing he'd ever encountered. Other sounds, different than the original, erupted about him, making him jerk suddenly and violently.

All the sounds suddenly stopped.

With the silence came the ability to concentrate. Motion. He could detect it. Feel it. He was moving. No, swaying; he was swaying. It was… calming; there was a rhythm to it. Back and forth he went. Back and forth and back and forth and back and forth. But, it was just him. He was the only one moving. The light had come to a standstill directly in front of him, a little farther off. And back and forth. Almost as if it was watching him. And back and forth. Or maybe it was calling to him. Back. Calling for him. And forth. Pleading for him to come and get it. Back. To come and devour it; or maybe to preserve it. Forth.

There, his eyes, they were opening. Finally, he could see the world, or at least a part of it, which intrigued him so much. His eyes bathed his sight in bright yellow light, illuminating anything and everything. The light, still shining so bright, was trembling. It was still so bright and the shaking did nothing to better help his vision, but he could and would bear the dizzying effect. He didn't know why, but he knew he always would. It was his light.

Sounds were becoming clearer now. Sharp intakes passed through his ears. Then rushed noises, all fighting to be heard. But never understood.

"How could this happen?" It was the calmest noise, the most threatening. He took notice to keep this strange shape in view.

"Golly. Do you think he's still in there?" The shadowed shape where this voice came from was larger than the rest; another potential threat. It loomed above everything, even him.

"Of course! He's Sora!" This noise was rougher than the rest, rising above all. But its source was small, thus weaker; but he kept it a concern, as it looked to be holding something that could be potentially dangerous.

Then the light shifted and he ignored everything else. His eyes couldn't stand the light so he looked away, immediately refocusing on it when he could bear it. "Sora would never leave us. He promised." The light, it had a sound to go with it. A wondrous sound, so high and delicate. Its chiming tone felt soothing for his ears and he swayed a bit slower, hoping it would produce more sound. It didn't.

He couldn't help but be saddened that the other sounds piped up, as well as the fact that the light was starting to get blocked by something.

"I don't think Sora would intentionally attack us, but darkness is something powerful and should be dealt with carefully. He's strong, and that means his heartless will be too." He swayed at his normal pace, the light's calming effect gone. The threating sound was louder and the shape was changing, a point coming off it. A weapon. He knew it, it was a weapon. "We have to be prepared for anything." Danger, he felt it coming off the calm noise's shape, along with the weapon.

One of his feet inched forward. He would fight. Fight and get his light. Darkness wrapped itself around his hands, making pointed edges at the end of his fingertips. The sea behind him became aroused.

"What? You can't kill him!" The murky waters swishing around him seemed to clear before him as the voice of the light talked. It was like a lullaby, shushing him to a calm sleep; his yellow eyes drooped and his hands went back to normal. "It's Sora! He's our best friend!"

"It's not Sora. What we know is his heart, but it's gone. This is his heartless. An empty shell of what he once was." Once again, his eyes opened wide and his hands became claws. A battle was coming, he could smell it.

"Well, uh, if this is his heartless, then, uh, don't we just need to find Sora's heart?" The larger shape spoke up. Then more hushed noises. The figures huddled together. The waves behind him grew restless at this. They convulsed, all trying to get near the light. His light. No. Not his light; he wouldn't let that happen. His mouth opened instinctively, though he wasn't sure what sound exactly came out of it, if anything did at all. But it was enough, the waves settled. They wouldn't threaten his light. It was his prize.

"The heartless, they're being held back…" His knuckles gently slid against the ground as he slumped forward even further. "Maybe Sora recognizes us!"

"Kairi don't!" It was louder than anything he had ever heard before and he shrunk back a bit. But the light didn't seemed bothered by the ringing it has cause in his ears. Instead, it crept closer. Closer to him. So close that the warmth felt like it was burning his very existence, burning away the darkness that he was made from. His head slipped to one side, attempting to get as close as possible to the light, but not completely blind him in the process.

"Sora…" It was so small, so delicate. The brightness burned his eyes though; the need to blink was a constant presence. "If you can hear me, please, tell me… Where's your heart?"

It brought one of its appendages up toward the top part of its main body, where the warmth and brightness was the most intense. He mimicked the motion, but only found a hole of darkness, which made him look at it in confusion. Nothing like the light he saw, pulsing and alive. So powerful and bright that he could hear it. Wait. Where was it coming from, the sound he heard? It sounded like it came from within him. Within all the darkness. But, right there, he saw it, in front of him. He knew that wasn't right.

"Sora, can you hear me?" The light shuddered and dimmed slightly before returning to normal, just as he felt inside himself.

He didn't answer it. But rather stared. It _was_ his. The light was caring it. A heart. His heart. No wonder it burned more powerful, it had more than just its light. It had his heart.

"Please, Sora. Where is your heart?"

His clawed hand dug into his chest. The darkness screamed in terror, the sea becoming chaotic. Then his other hand came up and pointed toward the light accusingly. She had it. She had what was rightfully his. He no longer felt the lull that the light brought him, only the desire to get back what was his. Clawed hands were present and he couldn't help but notice that it looked just as sharp as the weapon the powerful figure had.

"Kairi, get back here!" The small one yelled, clearly shaking. With fear, he could tell. The sea convulsed even more and he didn't try to do anything to stop it. It wanted to get his heart and help him, something of which he was open to at that point. He wanted his heart, his light.

"Sora… Please…" The warmth it held only amplified its yearning.

A single twitch, more pronounced than any other, of his head signaled to the masses behind him. It rushed forward; a wave set to crash, demolish, and consume everything in its path. Yet, it didn't dare touch his light, leaving it for its master to take care of.

He finally brought his body up to its full height, towering over his light. He took a slow step forward, then another, and another. His light twirled around frantically, trembling all the harder, looking for an escape and finding none. That soothing voice rose higher than anything he had ever heard when he had lunged forward.

This was his light and he would make sure it stayed his forever.


End file.
